THE SECRET OF THE THIRD AND SEVENTH DAY
Chukas - Parah
The ashes of the Parah Adumah were used to purify someone who had contracted Tumas Meis - impurity from contact with the dead. The Torah describes the process of how the Red Heifer would be burned and converted into ashes. These ashes would be mixed with natural spring waters and sprinkled on the impure individual.
In order to be effective, this sprinkling had to be done specifically on the third and seventh day of the purification process – והזה הטהור על הטמא ביום השלישי וביום השביעי. What is significant about the third and seventh day and why are they so integral to the purification of the Parah Adumah?
To understand this, we need to explore the inner meaning of the Mitzvah of Parah Adumah and the impurity that only it is capable of removing.
Impurity from contact with the dead represents one who has become spiritually disconnected. Hashem is the source of life and one who is connected to Him is truly alive. This is the deeper meaning of the Posuk ואתם הדבקים בה' ...חיים, “You who cleave to Hashem are alive”.
In contrast, those who become lost and trapped in worldly desires that lead a person astray, suffer a form of spiritual death. And so our sages teach that the wicked even during their lifetimes are called dead.
The Mitzvah of Parah Adumah is a representation of Teshuvah - returning to one’s connection to Hashem. Teshuvah, like the Parah Adumah, is the purification from the impurity of spiritual death. Like Techiyas Hemeisim, Teshuvah brings the spiritually dead back to a state of spiritual life.
With this we can now understand why the numbers 3 and 7 are so significant to this process. The numbers 3 and 7, and the Sefiros that they represent, are the integral ingredients of true Teshuvah that brings us back to true life.
The Novi Hoshea says יְחַי ֵּ֖נוּ מִיֹּמ ָ֑יִם בַיוֹם֙ הַשְלִישִִׁ֔ י יְקִמ ֵּ֖נוּ וְנִחְי ֶ֥ה לְפ נ ָֽיו- “After two days He will revive us and on the third day He will revive us and we will live before Him”. This Posuk is an allusion to Techiyas Hameisim – the resurrection of the dead, when Hashem will revive us and we will live forever before Him. The Posuk connects this to the 3rd day.
Techiyas Hameisim is connected to the attribute of Mercy (Rachamim). In Shemoneh Esrei in the blessing of Techiyas Hameisim, we say מחיה מתים ברחמים רבים. Hashem will revive the dead with abundant mercy.
Chassidus explains that Techiyas Hameisim comes from a revelation of Rachamim Rabim, a very deep level of G-dliness which is completely beyond the natural order. In the Kabbalistic system of the Sefiros, the third Sefirah of Tiferes is also referred to the attribute of Rachamim (compassion). It is the attribute associated with Yaakov Avinu, the third and choicest of the Avos.
Practically, the Avodah of Rachamim means to arouse compassion on one’s own soul. A person who is spiritually distant should reflect on how distant they are from where they should be. They should feel a great sense of Rachmonus for their Neshama and their lost connection.
The Rachmonus that we feel for ourselves arouses Hashem’s Rachmonus on us. He then draws us closer to Him, helping us to reconnect once again.
The seventh Sefira is the Sefira of Malchus. The Sefira of Malchus is also an integral part of Teshuvah and purification from spiritual death. Malchus represents the trait of humility and Bittul (surrender).
Malchus is associated with Dovid Hamelech, who Hashem refers to as Dovid Avdi - Dovid My servant. Hashem says כי לי בני ישראל עבדים. Literally it means “For Bnei Yisroel are My servants”. On a deeper level, Hashem is saying is that when you are My servants, when you express this Bittul and surrender, then you are Mine.
Practically this means to completely and absolutely surrender our very selves to Hashem, like a servant whose entire being is devoted to fulfilling the will of their master.
These two attributes - Tiferes (the 3rd Sefira) and Malchus (the 7th Sefira) – and the Avodah that they represent, are the remedy for spiritual death.
The power of the Sefiros of Tiferes and Malchus to reinstate life is because they are beyond death themselves. This is why we find a commonality between Yaakov and Dovid who are both described as being beyond the reaches of death. In Kiddush Levana we say דוד מלך ישראל חי וקיים - Dovid Hamelech lives. The Talmud teaches that Yaakov too lives forever - יעקב אבינו לא מת.
This is why the sprinkling of the ashes of the Parah Adumah which removes the impurity of death had to be on the third and seventh day. It is a lesson for us on how to attain purity and life and reconnect our-selves to the חיי החיים, the source of all life.
May we merit the coming of Moshiach and the bringing of the 10th Parah Adumah, in a world where death – both physical and spiritual – will be swallowed up forever.
In order to be effective, this sprinkling had to be done specifically on the third and seventh day of the purification process – והזה הטהור על הטמא ביום השלישי וביום השביעי. What is significant about the third and seventh day and why are they so integral to the purification of the Parah Adumah?
To understand this, we need to explore the inner meaning of the Mitzvah of Parah Adumah and the impurity that only it is capable of removing.
Impurity from contact with the dead represents one who has become spiritually disconnected. Hashem is the source of life and one who is connected to Him is truly alive. This is the deeper meaning of the Posuk ואתם הדבקים בה' ...חיים, “You who cleave to Hashem are alive”.
In contrast, those who become lost and trapped in worldly desires that lead a person astray, suffer a form of spiritual death. And so our sages teach that the wicked even during their lifetimes are called dead.
The Mitzvah of Parah Adumah is a representation of Teshuvah - returning to one’s connection to Hashem. Teshuvah, like the Parah Adumah, is the purification from the impurity of spiritual death. Like Techiyas Hemeisim, Teshuvah brings the spiritually dead back to a state of spiritual life.
With this we can now understand why the numbers 3 and 7 are so significant to this process. The numbers 3 and 7, and the Sefiros that they represent, are the integral ingredients of true Teshuvah that brings us back to true life.
The Novi Hoshea says יְחַי ֵּ֖נוּ מִיֹּמ ָ֑יִם בַיוֹם֙ הַשְלִישִִׁ֔ י יְקִמ ֵּ֖נוּ וְנִחְי ֶ֥ה לְפ נ ָֽיו- “After two days He will revive us and on the third day He will revive us and we will live before Him”. This Posuk is an allusion to Techiyas Hameisim – the resurrection of the dead, when Hashem will revive us and we will live forever before Him. The Posuk connects this to the 3rd day.
Techiyas Hameisim is connected to the attribute of Mercy (Rachamim). In Shemoneh Esrei in the blessing of Techiyas Hameisim, we say מחיה מתים ברחמים רבים. Hashem will revive the dead with abundant mercy.
Chassidus explains that Techiyas Hameisim comes from a revelation of Rachamim Rabim, a very deep level of G-dliness which is completely beyond the natural order. In the Kabbalistic system of the Sefiros, the third Sefirah of Tiferes is also referred to the attribute of Rachamim (compassion). It is the attribute associated with Yaakov Avinu, the third and choicest of the Avos.
Practically, the Avodah of Rachamim means to arouse compassion on one’s own soul. A person who is spiritually distant should reflect on how distant they are from where they should be. They should feel a great sense of Rachmonus for their Neshama and their lost connection.
The Rachmonus that we feel for ourselves arouses Hashem’s Rachmonus on us. He then draws us closer to Him, helping us to reconnect once again.
The seventh Sefira is the Sefira of Malchus. The Sefira of Malchus is also an integral part of Teshuvah and purification from spiritual death. Malchus represents the trait of humility and Bittul (surrender).
Malchus is associated with Dovid Hamelech, who Hashem refers to as Dovid Avdi - Dovid My servant. Hashem says כי לי בני ישראל עבדים. Literally it means “For Bnei Yisroel are My servants”. On a deeper level, Hashem is saying is that when you are My servants, when you express this Bittul and surrender, then you are Mine.
Practically this means to completely and absolutely surrender our very selves to Hashem, like a servant whose entire being is devoted to fulfilling the will of their master.
These two attributes - Tiferes (the 3rd Sefira) and Malchus (the 7th Sefira) – and the Avodah that they represent, are the remedy for spiritual death.
The power of the Sefiros of Tiferes and Malchus to reinstate life is because they are beyond death themselves. This is why we find a commonality between Yaakov and Dovid who are both described as being beyond the reaches of death. In Kiddush Levana we say דוד מלך ישראל חי וקיים - Dovid Hamelech lives. The Talmud teaches that Yaakov too lives forever - יעקב אבינו לא מת.
This is why the sprinkling of the ashes of the Parah Adumah which removes the impurity of death had to be on the third and seventh day. It is a lesson for us on how to attain purity and life and reconnect our-selves to the חיי החיים, the source of all life.
May we merit the coming of Moshiach and the bringing of the 10th Parah Adumah, in a world where death – both physical and spiritual – will be swallowed up forever.